Set The Mood .. I Mean Tone

A recent chapter reading was presented to the students of En212. It was information pertaining to storytelling and techniques to use when writing a feature piece. In the section that was containing tips on narrative writing I found an interesting technique that I had never given much thought too - creating a 'tone' for your pieces. As a writer I have never thought too hard on the tone of my pieces, but in a way I think that it comes naturally to some. I reread several pieces I wrote in the past, and I think I did a good job on helping the reader 'see' the picture I was creating for them.

"She's the crazy one," Jeni said as all three sat bundled in coats and hats and wrapped in fleece blankets. Carolyn Smith cooked Thanksgiving dinner and delivered it to the three women."

"A row of brand-new tents along the sidewalk beyond the Smith encampment indicated that Walmart had won at least one round of early shopping sales."

Both of these quotes from an article about Black Friday customers creates a picture that readers can 'see'. This writer takes the tips that the textbook provides and intwines them within her article. Just by reading the short excerpts above, you can imagine how cold and the measure the customers were taking to make sure that they were first in line for the annual Black Friday deals.